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Look Who's Talkin'

Posted by Adam Kuban, April 17, 2009 at 3:15 PM

There's so much to keep up with in Talk that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week.

Worst Cooking Experience Ever?

"I'd planned on cooking a late supper for a date in the comfort of my tiny apartment... The meal was a chili-marinated calamari stir fry, and I'd substituted jalepeños for fiery Thai bird's eyes, so the squid had been soaking in potent heat....

"... I overheated the wok. When I dumped in the squid for their quick sear, they immediately began to burn. My tiny apartment filled with acrid smoke within 30 seconds. Cue the smoke alarm... But the situation was worsened because the smoke wasn't ordinary smoke; it was the smoke of a Thai-chili marinade from hell. It was thick and black, and besides clouding the apartment, it burned our eyes, noses, and throats... My date was forced out to the porch for oxygen while I spent a romantic ten minutes perched on a chair with a broom, trying to silence the smoke detector and wave away the clouds of pepper-smoke.

"We went out for pizza. Aren't I smooth?" —unpocojmoney

Cuban Sandwich ... Mustard or Mayo?

"Take it from the daughter of a Cuban... if it does not have mustard, it's not really a Cuban sandwich... mayo, it's really optional, but butter on the bread it's what's traditional." —MadelynRodriguez

Why Do College Students Love Pizza?

Beer and marijuana. —bobbob

Worst Sandwich You've Ever Had?

"My grandmother loved a sandwich similar to the one described in this initial post. White bread, Miracle Whip, lettuce and...peanut butter. Ugh!" —godeats

Perfect Picnic Food?

"A loaf of high quality, artisan bread. An assortment of French or Italian cheese. Some charcuterie. An excellent bottle of wine.

"A picnic for any occasion." —derosa

Road Trip Snacks to Pack for Family?

"One bourbon, one scotch and one beer...." —dmcavanagh

Frozen Food for Exhausted Friend?

"I made eastern nc bbq, chicken pesto pasta, white chicken chili, sausage egg & cheese breakfast sandwhiches, chicken nuggets (for the kids), blueberry french toast casserole with blueberry sauce, apple-sausage stuffed pork chops, asian ginger marinated flank steak, chimmichurri marinated pork loin, pot roast, and brown and serve rolls (made bread, shaped into rolls, and parbaked). She said everything froze and cooked/reheated very well.

"Avoid creamy things, as they tend not to freeze well. If you are making something cheesy, leave the cheese out, shred it, and store it in a separate bag for your friend to add when she reheats/cooks. Make sure you label things very well, include clear cooking/reheating instructions, and double bag/wrap everything to avoid freezer burn...." —ProfessorChaos

Why Kosher Salt?

"Kosher salt and table salt (non-iodized) are chemically identical, so weight-for-weight, neither one is saltier than the other. When dissolved into liquids or in sauces, they are also completely indistinguishable from each other in terms of flavor. Eaten out of hand, slight flavor differences can be detected, but the reason is psychosomatic. Texture and flavor are very difficult for us to qualify independently of each other...." —GoodEaterKenji

In Theory [blank] Sounded Like a Good Idea ... Reality, However ...

"Making a pot of soup when I had a headcold. Of course, my tastebuds were whacked, and I kept adding different spices, trying to make it taste right.

"At dinner, DH takes one taste and gives me a peculiar look. 'Have you tasted this?' he asks. Then the lightbulb pops on. 'You can't taste anything, can you?' He kind of chuckled. 'You've got to save some of this soup for when you're over that cold.'

"This is why I'm so much better off making things like Kraft mac n cheese when I'm sick. It may not be wonderful, but it's predictable." —dbcurrie

What Do You Collect?

"Lbs ... apparently." —BananaMonkey

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